Try our Advanced Search for more refined results
Criminal Practice
-
August 05, 2025
Ghislaine Maxwell Slams Feds' Bid To Unseal Grand Jury Docs
Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence for trafficking children for late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, urged a New York federal judge Tuesday to deny the government's bid to unseal grand jury transcripts, saying release of the sealed materials could jeopardize the appeal of her 2021 conviction.
-
August 05, 2025
Tenn. Executes Man With Intellectual Disability For 3 Murders
Tennessee on Tuesday executed Byron Black, who the state conceded had an intellectual disability and should have been removed from death row, for a 1988 triple murder.
-
August 05, 2025
Utah Judge Blocks 'Bad Faith' Prosecution Of Psilocybin Church
A Utah federal judge has blocked a state court prosecution of the leader of a church that uses psilocybin in its sacrament, finding the prosecution was initiated in bad faith to harass the church and its members following a ruling against the state in the federal case.
-
August 05, 2025
Disbarred North Carolina Atty Admits To Wire Fraud Scheme
A disbarred lawyer in North Carolina has copped to criminal wire fraud charges stemming from the misuse of his trust account after federal prosecutors said he used escrow funds earmarked for the sale of personal protective equipment to pay back another company.
-
August 05, 2025
NJ Court Clarifies Sentencing Guidelines For Weapons Charge
First-degree unlawful possession of a handgun does not automatically activate the mandatory parole disqualifiers of the Graves Act, a cornerstone of New Jersey's firearm sentencing framework, the state's highest court ruled Tuesday.
-
August 05, 2025
Medicaid Cuts May Worsen Incarceration-Linked Death Risks
A new public health investigation reveals an association between incarceration and elevated risk of early death, not only for people who have been behind bars but for entire communities. Experts caution that impending disinvestment in Medicaid could worsen outcomes in vulnerable populations.
-
August 04, 2025
5th Circ. Says Appeal Over Mexican Bank Discovery Looks Moot
The Fifth Circuit pushed a Mexican businessman to explain how his appeal was not moot after a special master was appointed to review documents relating to an alleged fraud against Mexican financial institutions, saying Monday the businessman has seemingly already gotten the relief he sought.
-
August 04, 2025
New Conn. Assault Trial Ordered Over Crucial Tattoo Evidence
A Connecticut appeals court has ordered a new trial for a man sentenced to over five years in prison for an assault at a Denny's, finding that his constitutional rights were violated when a trial court refused to allow potentially exculpatory evidence showing that, unlike the perpetrator, he had no tattoos.
-
August 04, 2025
DC Circ. Backs FBI Agent's Bribery Sentence
The D.C. Circuit Court has affirmed a former FBI special agent's two-year sentence for taking a bribe in connection with a property-buying scheme, finding that he accepted at least $6,500 from a real estate developer in exchange for illegally sharing information from a protected database to which the FBI subscribed.
-
August 04, 2025
Fla. High Court Vacates Drug Charges Over Speedy Trial Rules
A Florida appeals court has permanently tossed a drug case against a man after a counting error led to him being held for over 180 days without a trial after being extradited from another state in violation of his right to a speedy trial.
-
August 04, 2025
Circuit Split On Geofence Warrants 'Intolerable,' Justices Told
A Fourth Circuit panel skirted the issue when it was deciding the appeal of a man who was convicted on robbery charges using a geofence warrant to pinpoint his location, but now that man wants the U.S. Supreme Court to decide whether such warrants are constitutional.
-
August 04, 2025
Veteran NJ Prosecutor Takes Over Hudson County Office
New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin has appointed a state-level prosecutor with experience in high-profile murder cases to take over the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office from longtime prosecutor Esther Suarez, who retired Friday.
-
August 04, 2025
Connecticut Justices Say Atty Due Extra $300K For ID Theft
The Connecticut Supreme Court ruled on Monday that an attorney whose identity was stolen by scammers can receive punitive damages under the state's unfair trade practices statute in addition to a separate award of treble damages under a different law, holding that a lower court misjudged the allowable recovery.
-
August 04, 2025
Ex-Okla. Indigent Defense Leader On Justice Reform Victories
Charles "Tim" Laughlin spent 28 years working for the Oklahoma Indigent Defense System, taking the reins as executive director in 2021 before retiring and going into private practice this year. Despite Oklahoma's deeply conservative political climate and high incarceration statistics, he managed to secure more funding for the public defense system and win support for policies to help low-income criminal defendants.
-
August 04, 2025
Mich. High Court Says Cellphone Search Was Too Sweeping
A split Michigan Supreme Court has refused to toss a number of charges for larceny, receiving stolen property and safe-breaking, ruling that the defendant did not receive ineffective counsel when his attorney failed to challenge an overly broad warrant issued to search his phone.
-
August 01, 2025
NC Man Warns Justices Of 'Odor Alone' Pot-Search Dangers
A North Carolina man who pled guilty to firearms charges after police found a weapon in his vehicle after smelling cannabis is urging the state's Supreme Court to find that the odor alone is not enough to establish probable cause, saying the current state of the law means anyone carrying state-legal hemp effectively gives up their Fourth Amendment right to be free of unreasonable searches.
-
August 01, 2025
NJ Court Will Mull Legality Of Habba's US Atty Appointment
If Alina Habba was illegally appointed acting U.S. attorney in New Jersey, a pair of defendants in a drug trafficking case are not entitled to dismissal of the indictment, but it "appears appropriate" that Habba would be barred from prosecuting them, a federal judge ruled Friday.
-
August 01, 2025
Pa. Appeals Court Affirms Gun Restrictions For Felons
A man sentenced to up to eight years in prison for carrying a gun illegally as a result of his status as a felon didn't have his constitutional rights violated, the Pennsylvania Superior Court found Friday, affirming his convictions.
-
August 01, 2025
4th Circ. Says Richmond PD Bias Claims Can't Sink Indictment
The Fourth Circuit on Friday restored a federal grand jury indictment against a driver who fled police in Richmond, Virginia, finding a district court overstepped in blaming purported racial bias by the Richmond Police Department for the otherwise justifiable traffic stop.
-
August 01, 2025
Mass. Judge Can't Dismiss Assault Case Via Sanction
A Massachusetts appeals court has determined that a trial court judge abused her discretion in dismissing an assault and battery case with prejudice as the result of a sanction on the prosecution for dragging its feet in discovery.
-
August 01, 2025
Feds Won't Retry Madigan Co-Defendant After Mistrial
Prosecutors asked an Illinois federal judge on Friday to dismiss charges against ex-Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan's longtime confidant Michael McClain after a jury was unable to reach a decision on the counts against McClain when the pair were tried together.
-
August 01, 2025
NY Law Mandating Judicial Fine Declared Unconstitutional
A New York state appeals court has declared unconstitutional a statute that mandates a judge forfeit $1,000 to a plaintiff if the judge refuses to issue a writ of habeas corpus.
-
August 01, 2025
Judge Denies Memphis Bid To Sanction Tyre Nichols' Lawyers
A Tennessee federal judge has decided not to issue sanctions against high-profile civil rights lawyers Ben Crump and Antonio Romanucci over a press release that claimed a civil lawsuit against the city over the police beating death of Tyre Nichols would not bankrupt the Memphis government because the city's insurance would foot the bill.
-
August 01, 2025
NY Bill Could Reshape Juvenile Investigations, If It Works
A bill that would keep minors out of police interrogation rooms until they've spoken with an attorney is one step closer to becoming law in New York after passing in the state Assembly, in what could be a chance to transform how juvenile crimes are investigated.
-
July 31, 2025
NY Court Tosses 10-Year Sentence After Illegal Arrest
A homeless man sentenced to 10 years in prison for assaulting and trying to rob a woman in Manhattan had his conviction vacated Thursday when a New York appeals court said evidence against him never should have been allowed in court since it was gained via his illegal arrest.
Expert Analysis
-
FCA Working Group Reboot Signals EHR Compliance Risk
The revival of the False Claims Act working group is an aggressive expansion of enforcement efforts by the Justice Department and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services targeted toward technology-enabled fraud involving electronic health records and other data, say attorneys at ArentFox Schiff.
-
Litigation Inspiration: How To Respond After A Loss
Every litigator loses a case now and then, and the sting of that loss can become a medicine that strengthens or a poison that corrodes, depending on how the attorney responds, says Bennett Rawicki at Hilgers Graben.
-
New Interpol Silver Notice Could Be Tool For Justice Or Abuse
Interpol has issued dozens of Silver Notices to trace and recover assets linked to criminal activity since January, and though the tool may disrupt organized crime and terrorist financing, attorneys must protect against the potential for corrupt misuse, say attorneys at Clark Hill and Arktouros.
-
Justices' Resentencing Ruling Fortifies First Step Act Tools
The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent Hewitt v. U.S. ruling clarifies that resentencing after vacatur must reflect the law in effect at the time of the new sentencing, ultimately strengthening the strategic tools available to defense attorneys under the First Step Act, says Benson Varghese at Varghese Summersett.
-
The Metamorphosis Of The Major Questions Doctrine
The so-called major questions doctrine arose as a counterweight to Chevron deference over the past few decades, but invocations of the doctrine have persisted in the year since Chevron was overturned, suggesting it still has a role to play in reining in agency overreach, say attorneys at Crowell & Moring.
-
Unpacking Enforcement Challenges Of DOJ's Bulk Data Rule
Now fully effective, the U.S. Department of Justice's new data security program represents the U.S.' first data localization requirement ripe for enforcement, but its implementation faces substantial practical challenges that may hinder the DOJ's ability for wide-ranging or swift action, say attorneys at Cleary.
-
Series
Playing Mah-Jongg Makes Me A Better Mediator
Mah-jongg rewards patience, pattern recognition, adaptability and keen observation, all skills that are invaluable to my role as a mediator, and to all mediating parties, says Marina Corodemus.
-
Series
Law School's Missed Lessons: Navigating Client Trauma
Law schools don't train students to handle repeated exposure to clients' traumatic experiences, but for litigators practicing in areas like civil rights and personal injury, success depends on the ability to view cases clinically and to recognize when you may need to seek help, says Katie Bennett at Robins Kaplan.
-
Opinion
Juries Are Key In Protecting The Rule Of Law
Absent from the recent discourse about U.S. rule of law is the crucial role of impartial jurors in protecting the equitable administration of justice, and attorneys and judges should take affirmative steps to reverse the yearslong decline of jury trials at this critical moment, says consultant Clint Townson.
-
Opinion
4 Former Justices Would Likely Frown On Litigation Funding
As courts increasingly confront cases involving hidden litigation finance contracts, the jurisprudence of four former U.S. Supreme Court justices establishes a constitutional framework that risks erosion by undisclosed financial interests, says Roland Eisenhuth at the American Property Casualty Insurance Association.
-
DOJ Actions Signal Rising Enforcement Risk For Health Cos.
The U.S. Department of Justice's announcement of a new False Claims Act working group, together with the largest healthcare fraud takedown in history, underscore the importance of sophisticated compliance programs that align with the DOJ's data-driven approach, say attorneys at Debevoise.
-
How Attys Can Use AI To Surface Narratives In E-Discovery
E-discovery has reached a turning point where document review is no longer just about procedural tasks like identifying relevance and redacting privilege — rather, generative artificial intelligence tools now allow attorneys to draw connections, extract meaning and tell a coherent story, says Rose Jones at Hilgers Graben.
-
How To Strengthen A Case By Mastering Expert Witness Prep
A well-prepared expert witness can bolster a case's credibility with persuasive qualifications, compelling voir dire responses and concise testimony that can withstand cross-examination, says Allison Rocker at Baker McKenzie.
-
ABA Opinion Makes It A Bit Easier To Drop A 'Hot Potato'
The American Bar Association's recent ethics opinion clarifies when attorneys may terminate clients without good cause, though courts may still disqualify a lawyer who drops a client like a hot potato, so sending a closeout letter is always a best practice, say attorneys at Thompson Hine.
-
Policy Shifts Bring New Anti-Money Laundering Challenges
In the second half of 2025, the U.S. anti-money laundering regulatory landscape is poised for decisive shifts in enforcement priorities, compliance expectations and legislative developments — so investment advisers and other financial institutions should take steps to prepare for potential new obligations and areas of risk, say attorneys at Linklaters.